Chapter 7: Sports, Recreations & Parks

Barnes Foundation, Merion

Chartered as a privately endowed, educational nonprofit by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1922, the Barnes Foundation is one of the largest repositories of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern art in the world. Founder and avid art collector Dr. Albert Barnes was an infamous Lower Merion personality and Philadelphia native. After making his millions from the invention and patent of a pharmaceutical for newborns that prevented infections of the eye, Barnes dedicated himself to writing books on art education and researching under-appreciated and undiscovered artists. As of this writing, the Foundation is building a new repository along Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway, thus moving the collection out of its ancestral residential neighborhood to a more urban locale.

Egyptian Theater, Bala

P.J. Lawler built this ornate, unique, Art Deco theatre on Bala Avenue in 1927. Designed with ancient Egyptian reliefs on its exterior and colorful reliefs and murals in its interior, the building was for vaudeville acts, the circus, and later as a movie theater…

Egyptian Theater, Bala

… Jim Conway, the theatre manager, was responsible for movie selections and the scheduling of vaudeville acts and circus tours. In this photo, he is standing in front of an advertisement for the famous “Leo the Lion.”

Egyptian Theater, interior

Admission was 10 cents, but could get as expensive as 35 cents for the vaudeville shows. Next door to the theater, just a few feet from the box office, was Goldische’s Candy Store where, for just a penny, you could get a supply of Good & Plenty or Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. The theater has been renamed the Clearview Bala Theater and remains a neighborhood treasure. The theater’s Egyptian-themed decorative walls and columns were covered with fabric but not destroyed, so that it could be revealed in the future. The ceiling centerpiece is still exposed to the wonderment of the general public; just remember to look up.

Egyptian Theater Advertising

Depicted are two examples of a simple technique that was used to advertise theater showings: Anything that moves, in this case, a pony and the Ford pick-up truck rented from E.A. Henry’s Hardware Store (located just two doors up from the Egyptian) circulated through the neighborhood announcing showings of the “Wizard of Oz” (1939).

Egyptian Theater Advertising

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Cynwyd Club, Cynwyd

Founded in 1913, this private sports club was part of the Lower Merion Realty Company’s development of the area. One of the attractions for a new homeowner to buy and settle in the area was the proximity of a sports club. While it primarily serves as a racquet club with tennis and squash courts, it also offers rooms for meetings and banquets. For decades, the club had bowling alleys and employed young men to be “pin-boys” to reset the pins. It remains an esteemed facility and is undergoing a number of expansions and renovations. This is a real black and white photo with a divided back.

Cynwyd Club, Cynwyd

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Woman’s Club of Bala Cynwyd

According to the 1937 pamphlet “Your Bala Cynwyd”, produced by the Neighborhood Club of Bala Cynwyd, The Woman’s Club “was founded 25 years ago for the purpose of ‘creating a center for thought and action, for civic betterment, and for the highest and best in literature, music and art.’ It has become one of the greatest forces for good in the community, continually initiating and supporting movements for civic and cultural improvement. In its early days meetings were held at the homes of members, later in the Cynwyd Club, and the Presbyterian Church, until in 1927 the present Club House was erected. This building is used for club functions, both senior and junior, and for Red Cross, Needlework Guild, and Social Service Meetings. It is also a center for many social and community activities.”

West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Cynwyd

Established in 1869 as a non-denominational cemetery, West Laurel Hill has long been a landmark in the Philadelphia region. Visiting cemeteries was a popular activity for Victorians, and the location of the region’s largest cemetery generated a good deal of weekend and holiday traffic. Today, it encompasses 187-acres, including thirteen miles of winding roads, an arboretum, and an outdoor sculpture garden. It is listed as a National Register Historic District and remains an active cemetery and park.

West Laurel Hill Cemetery

A 1926 booklet outlines five modes of transportation to get to West Laurel Hill Cemetery, including a Pennsylvania Railroad train schedule to and from Barmouth Station. In addition, many passengers disembarked the #61 trolley at Manayunk and walked to the grounds via the Pencoyd Bridge. (Image courtesy of West Laurel Hill Cemetery.)

Union Fire Association fire engines, 1916

Along with the Merion Fire Company’s Autocar as part of the 1916 Independence Day Parade in Bala Cynwyd.

1916 Independence Day Parade

The Neighborhood Club of Bala Cynwyd, the civic association for Bala and Cynwyd, was established in 1906 and is the oldest civic association on the Main Line. To this day, The Neighborhood Club continuously works to preserve the residential character of their neighborhood and to protect civic welfare and to promote community spirit. Pictured is the first Neighborhood Club’s July 4th pageant, in 1916. Above, Lady Liberty is staged on the steps of the Cynwyd Elementary School. Patriotic themes were acted out in parades, dioramas and community fetes and historical pageants.

1916 Independence Day Parade

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1916 Independence Day Dioramas, Cynwyd School

Some popular themes were Columbus Discovering America (1492), the Arrival of the Mayflower (1620), the Arrival of William Penn (1682), the Signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and Betsy Ross Making the American Flag (1777).

1916 Independence Day Dioramas, Cynwyd School

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Belmont Driving Club and Racing Schedule, Merion

This recreational facility became operational to the general public just in time for the opening of the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The Exposition was located in nearby Fairmount Park; only a short train ride to Elm Park (Narberth). The Driving Club was located on 72 acres along Meeting House Lane and had a mile-long oval track, along with an additional half-mile track and a clubhouse. It was in active use from 1876 to 1924. In later years, automobile and motorcycle racing supplanted the horse races. In the 1930s, the area was sold off and transformed into a model housing development called Merion Park. This real photo postcard was published by the World Post Card Company in Philadelphia.

Belmont Driving Club and Racing Schedule, Merion

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Narberth Theater

The Narberth opened on November 1, 1927 with “Loves of Carmen”. Architect Jacob Ethan Fieldstein used New York City’s Roxy Theatre as an inspiration. Evening performances were 35 cents for adults and 25 cents for children; Matinee prices were 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. The auditorium originally had 856 seats, a Wurlitzer organ (long since gone), a stage, and dressing rooms for vaudeville performers. In 2004 the Narberth was re-modeled; the auditorium’s decorative plaster was hidden behind fake walls and ceilings, but not destroyed, and thus preserved, if not appreciated.

Narberth Playground

Since its construction in the 1920s, the playground in Narberth has served as the main recreational venue in the borough. This quaint village park contains a baseball field, two full-size, lighted basketball courts, and several tennis courts, a building containing locker and rest rooms, and a veterans’ memorial. But the all-day July 4th events – including the ever-popular fireworks display – are what most Main Liners associate with Narberth’s Playground.

“Lower Merion/Radnor Football Game 1925”

Pennypacker Athletic Field was named for a beloved principal of Lower Merion Senior High School: Charles B. Pennypacker. It was Lower Merion High School’s first athletic field and was between Owen Rd. (houses in the rear) and School House Lane (in the foreground). The football rivalry between Lower Merion and Radnor is reported to be the oldest continuing public high school competition. The white, square, truck body on the lower left is the omnipresent ice cream vendor.

Philadelphia Field and Cycle Club, Ardmore, 1911

The Philadelphia Cycle and Field Club received a corporate charter in November, 1889, and by March 1890, had acquired this gorgeous, Queen Anne style house on Lancaster Pike at the corner of Church Road in Ardmore. Eager to display their new home, the club celebrated a gala open house on February 22nd of that year.
Bicycle clubs thrived in Philadelphia and surrounding communities during the 1890s. However, interest in cycling among adults waned during the early years of the 20th century due to the “automobile invasion.” In 1904, the Ardmore club and its furnishings were sold to pay outstanding mortgages and taxes.

Ardmore Theater, Exterior, c1926

“The House of Talkies, Vitaphone and Movietone – Playing All the Choice Photoplays Exactly as Shown in Town.” Talkies were so popular that most villages had one or two movie theaters: Ardmore was no exception. The Ardmore Theater opened in 1926 and remained a popular movie house for over seven decades until it was closed in 2000. While the local historical preservation community tried to save it, the theater was nonetheless gutted and reopened as a fitness center in 2002.

Ardmore Theater, Interior, c1926

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Merion Cricket Club, Haverford

Since moving from Ardmore to Haverford in 1892, this private club has provided lawn tennis, bowling, golf, cricket, soccer, squash, field hockey, and badminton. Furness, Evans and Company were the architects for the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Landmark.

The Park, Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr was an important station stop along the Pennsylvania Railroad. Directly across the street from the depot was an attractive park with World War I memorials. This once open space is currently used as a municipal parking lot for rail commuters and shoppers. The Township, with feedback from local businesses and residents, has completed a Master Plan for Bryn Mawr, which includes a proposal to remove the parking lot and reinstall a pocket park with a similar footprint. This is a colorized card with a divided back.